This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/jun/05/trump-visit-d-day-tory-leadership-pmqs-claims-london-crowds-were-supporting-him-ahead-of-d-day-commemoration-live-news
The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 4 | Version 5 |
---|---|
Trump and Macron address veterans in Portsmouth D-day commemoration – live news | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Theresa May is now reading out a letter written by a Captain Skinner to his wife two days for before D-day. | |
In it, Skinner said this was a difficult letter to write. Anyone with imagination must worry about what will happen, Skinner said. He said he had had some lovely years with his wife. He could imagine his family in the garden. He would give anything to be with them, but would not back down from the job he had to do. He asked his wife to give his love to his children. | |
After May finishes, the text of a telegram later sent to Mrs Skinner announcing her husband’s death was read out. | |
Here is the translation of the letter from a French resistance fighter read out by Emmanuel Macron, the French president. (See 12.03pm.) | |
My dear parents, My letter is going to cause you great sorrow, but I have seen you so full of courage in the past that I do not doubt that you will remain courageous, if only out of love for me. | |
I am going to die for my country. I want France to be free and the French to be happy. I do not want France to be arrogant and the world’s leading nation but hard-working, industrious and honest. | |
Scuffles broke out in the centre of Portsmouth today after groups of football casuals marched through a protest against the US president’s presence in the city during D-Day commemorations.A few dozen men marching behind a banner with the crest of Portsmouth Football Club at the centre of a Union flag chanted ‘scum, scum, scum’ as they arrived midway through speeches by trade unionists and others who had organised a gathering of a few hundred people in the city’s Guildhall Square.Police stepped in as the men scattered and tried to square up to those in the protest, who broke into chants of ‘nazi scum off our streets. | |
Amid some pushing and shoving, one man with a US flag wrapped around his waist grabbed one of the protest placards and snapped after waving part of it around. The group then adjourned to a pub as the rally continued with speakers evoking the sacrifice of D Day veterans who had fought to liberate Europe from nazism. | |
I will be focusing on the D-day commemoration for the next half an hour, and will pick up PMQs later. | |
In Portsmouth Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is now reading out a letter written by a French resistance fighter. | |
He starts by thanking the other countries on behalf of his nation. | |
Then he reads out the letter, in French. In it, the fighter says he does not fear death because his conscience is clear. | |
President Trump, at 75th D-Day anniversary in Portsmouth, reads from FDR’s “Mighty Endeavor” World War II prayer pic.twitter.com/Oeq8LgMv4M | |
These are from my colleague Ben Quinn who is in Portsmouth. | |
A group of pro Trump football casual types have just arrived at the anti Trump protest on the centre of Portsmouth pic.twitter.com/zGGhZQ1w1a | |
A few scuffles braking out.. police stepping amid shouts of ‘nazi scum off our streets’ pic.twitter.com/YqPAb2u4R6 | |
This guy has just grabbed a protestor’s placard and broke it up after waving the debris around pic.twitter.com/buvfLe0NKF | |
President Trump is speaking now at the D-day event. He is reading from a D-day prayer written by FD Roosevelt, the US president in 1944. | |
The FDR D-Day prayer from which Pres Trump will read today can be seen and heard at https://t.co/swiOJVB9mq | |
World leaders attending the D-day commemoration in Portsmouth include: French president Emmanuel Macron, prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump, Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison, prime minister Charles Michel from Belgium, the Czech Republic’s prime minister Andrej Babis, president Prokopis Pavlopoulos from Greece, Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, the Dutch PM Mark Rutte, Norway’s PM Erna Solberg, Poland’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovakia’s deputy prime minister Richard Rasi. | World leaders attending the D-day commemoration in Portsmouth include: French president Emmanuel Macron, prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump, Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison, prime minister Charles Michel from Belgium, the Czech Republic’s prime minister Andrej Babis, president Prokopis Pavlopoulos from Greece, Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, the Dutch PM Mark Rutte, Norway’s PM Erna Solberg, Poland’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovakia’s deputy prime minister Richard Rasi. |
At the commemoration Trudeau has just read out the citation from the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross in world war two - a soldier who led his men across a bridge under heavy fire saying “there’s nothing to worry about here”. | At the commemoration Trudeau has just read out the citation from the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross in world war two - a soldier who led his men across a bridge under heavy fire saying “there’s nothing to worry about here”. |
The D-day commemoration is mostly ceremonial, but it does have a political edge to it. To coincide with it, Downing Street has got the 16 nations who are attending to sign something called the “D-day proclamation”. | The D-day commemoration is mostly ceremonial, but it does have a political edge to it. To coincide with it, Downing Street has got the 16 nations who are attending to sign something called the “D-day proclamation”. |
Here is the text in full. | Here is the text in full. |
Seventy five years ago, our countries were about to embark on a decisive battle. | Seventy five years ago, our countries were about to embark on a decisive battle. |
On 6 June 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed at Normandy, signalling the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. Casualty figures on all sides were immense, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, aviators and civilians killed or wounded in the days and weeks that followed. | On 6 June 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed at Normandy, signalling the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. Casualty figures on all sides were immense, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, aviators and civilians killed or wounded in the days and weeks that followed. |
We stand together today to honour the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day, and those many millions of men and women who lost their lives during the Second World War, the largest conflict in human history. | We stand together today to honour the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day, and those many millions of men and women who lost their lives during the Second World War, the largest conflict in human history. |
We affirm that it is our shared responsibility to ensure that the unimaginable horror of these years is never repeated. | We affirm that it is our shared responsibility to ensure that the unimaginable horror of these years is never repeated. |
Over the last 75 years, our nations have stood up for peace in Europe and globally, for democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. We re-commit today to those shared values because they support the stability and prosperity of our nations and our people. We will work together as allies and friends to defend these freedoms whenever they are threatened. | Over the last 75 years, our nations have stood up for peace in Europe and globally, for democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. We re-commit today to those shared values because they support the stability and prosperity of our nations and our people. We will work together as allies and friends to defend these freedoms whenever they are threatened. |
We commit to work constructively as friends and allies to find common ground where we have differences of opinion and to work together to resolve international tensions peacefully. | We commit to work constructively as friends and allies to find common ground where we have differences of opinion and to work together to resolve international tensions peacefully. |
We will act resolutely, with courage and tenacity, to protect our people against threats to our values and challenges to peace and stability. | We will act resolutely, with courage and tenacity, to protect our people against threats to our values and challenges to peace and stability. |
In this way, we salute the surviving veterans of D-Day and we honour the memories of those who came before us. | In this way, we salute the surviving veterans of D-Day and we honour the memories of those who came before us. |
We will ensure that the sacrifices of the past are never in vain and never forgotten. | We will ensure that the sacrifices of the past are never in vain and never forgotten. |
Mostly this is a conventional and rather bland restatement of democratic values. But the paragraph I’ve highlighted in bold about working constructively together “to find common ground ... and ... to resolve international tensions peacefully” can be seen as an attempt to nudge President Trump away from isolationism and back towards upholding what is described as the rules-based international order (RBIO). | Mostly this is a conventional and rather bland restatement of democratic values. But the paragraph I’ve highlighted in bold about working constructively together “to find common ground ... and ... to resolve international tensions peacefully” can be seen as an attempt to nudge President Trump away from isolationism and back towards upholding what is described as the rules-based international order (RBIO). |
The Queen delivered a similar message to Trump in her speech at the state banquet on Monday. | The Queen delivered a similar message to Trump in her speech at the state banquet on Monday. |
The 16 nations who have backed the D-day proclamation are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. | The 16 nations who have backed the D-day proclamation are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. |
In Portsmouth the D-day commemoration event is just starting. | In Portsmouth the D-day commemoration event is just starting. |
Sir Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, and Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, are both at the D-day commemoration. | Sir Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, and Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, are both at the D-day commemoration. |